Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions

Please read these booking conditions carefully, they form an important part of the contract for your holiday.
All holidays are advertised in our brochures and on our website are operated by Citalia, registered number 446617 (hereinafter called ‘the Company’, ‘we’, ‘us’ or ‘our’), a member of the Travelopia Group of companies, of Origin One, 108 High Street, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1BD, and are sold subject to the following conditions:

Insurance:

Please Note: Adequate and valid travel insurance is compulsory for all our travellers and it is a condition of accepting your booking that you agree you will have obtained adequate and valid travel insurance. We recommend you take out insurance as soon as your booking is confirmed.

1. Your Financial Protection

The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package holidays booked from us and for your repatriation in the event of our insolvency.

We will provide you with financial protection for any ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday that you buy from us by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 0285, administered by the Civil Aviation Authority (‘CAA’). When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong.

We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).

If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claim which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.

The price of your holiday includes the amount of £2.50 per person as part of the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) we pay to the CAA. This charge is included in our advertised prices.

When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday, all money accepted from you by a travel agent acting as our agent is held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times, but subject to the agent’s obligation to pay it to us for so long as we do not fail.

If we do fail, any money held at that time by the agent, or subsequently accepted from you by the agent, is and continues to be held by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to us. When you buy arrangements other than an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday, all money accepted from you by a travel agent acting as our agent is held by that agent on our behalf at all times.

We will provide you with financial protection for any package holidays you buy from us that do not include travel by air by way of a bond held by ABTA. For further information, visit the ABTA website at www.abta.com.

If you book arrangements other than an ATOL protected flight or a package holiday, the financial protection referred to above does not apply.

We are a Member of ABTA, membership number V4068. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct.

2. How to Book

To make a booking you can contact us in several ways; directly over the telephone, via our website, through an approved Travel Agent or by email at [email protected]. The person making the booking (the ‘lead name’) must be 18 years old or over and possess the legal capacity and authority to make the booking and accepts these booking conditions on behalf of everyone in their party. Whether you book alone or as a group, we will only deal with the lead name in all subsequent correspondence, including changes, amendments and cancellations. The lead name is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the personal details or any other information supplied in respect of yourself and any other person travelling on the booking and for passing on any information regarding the booking or any changes made in relation thereto, to all persons travelling on such booking, including but not limited to information on schedule changes or copies of booking confirmations.

You will need to pay a deposit at the time of booking in the amount notified to you at the time of booking. You may also be required to pay for any non-transferable and non-refundable items such as special air fares, theatre tickets, attraction tickets or entry permits and any other applicable supplements due at the time of booking, for example, including without limitation "Accommodation Only", "Late Bookings" and "Weddings". Some airfares are booked at especially competitive rates to which airlines may attach severe restrictions. You may be asked to pay for these in full at the time of booking and they may be non-refundable in the event of cancellation. Details will be given at the time of booking. Please note that cheques require 5 working days to clear. Cheques that will not clear by the balance due date cannot be accepted. We only accept card payments from passengers travelling on the booking.

We will then invoice you for the remainder of the cost due before you travel, which you must pay not later than 69 days before departure for bookings made via an agent, or no later than 83 days before departure for bookings made directly with us. To pay your final balance, amend your booking or discuss any other aspect of your holiday booked directly with us, call our Customer Services team. When you book your holiday through an approved travel agent, all communication between you and us will be made through that agent, as such please contact your agent in the first instance, as no changes can be made to your booking unless they are done through your agent. If you book less than 69 days before departure for bookings made via an agent, or less than 83 days before departure for bookings made directly with us, full payment (less any payment which must be paid locally) must be made on booking by credit or debit card. If you do not pay the balance by the due date your booking will be cancelled and you will forfeit your deposit plus any other relevant charges. If you do not pay the local payment on the due date your booking will be cancelled (and we shall have no further liability to you) and cancellation charges will be levied as appropriate.

If we accept your booking, we will issue a Booking Confirmation and Invoice. A contract will exist between us from the date we issue the Booking Confirmation and Invoice or if you book within 7 days of departure the contract will exist when we accept your deposit payment. When you receive the Booking Confirmation and Invoice and your Departure Documents please check the details carefully and inform us immediately if anything is incorrect.

Names on travel documents must exactly match those in your passports. Unless we are responsible for the mistake, we will not accept liability if an airline or other supplier refuses boarding because the name(s) shown in your passport differ from those on your ticket. If there is an obvious error on the Confirmation Invoice, we reserve the right to correct it as soon as we become aware of it, but we will do this within 7 days of issuing the Confirmation Invoice or, if your departure is within 7 days, no later than 24 hours before you go. If any of these changes are not acceptable then you will be entitled to a full refund. Travel documents will be sent or emailed to you (to the address given to us by the lead name at the time of booking) approximately 2 weeks before your departure, and will not be issued unless payment of the due balance has been received and any cheques have cleared. Bookings made 14 days or less before departure incur a £15 per person administration charge and tickets will not be sent out by post but will more than likely have to be collected at the airport on the day of departure. It is essential that you ascertain whether or not you can obtain relevant visas and inoculations before making your booking. We cannot accept any liability for tickets lost in the post. Departure Documents may be in paper or email form depending on your chosen holiday. If requested in the Departure Documents or locally provided holiday information, you must reconfirm the reservations, timings and check-in details of your flight with the airline concerned at least 72 hours before departure. This applies to your outward flight and to your return flight. If you miss a flight or suffer any disruption as a result of not following our instructions as to reconfirmation we will have no liability to you.

For those holidays where an additional local payment is required this will be confirmed to you. A local payment is a portion of the holiday cost which must be paid directly to the local representative as instructed. If the price of your holiday includes a local payment this must be paid in the currency specified. Please note that your tour price will not be considered to have been paid in full until the local payment has been made.

Tourist taxes, resort fees or similar that are charged locally may be implemented or changed without prior warning. We do not accept responsibility for these costs, which must be paid by you and are not included within your holiday price.

Your personal safety is of paramount importance to us and therefore it is imperative that you advise us at the time of booking of any condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people’s enjoyment of the trip. It is a condition of your booking that you and all members of your party provide certain information that may be sent to governmental authorities and border control and security agencies for the purpose of security and counter terrorism. This is known as Passenger Name Records (PNR) and/or Advanced Passenger Information, sometimes known as APIS. For the United Kingdom, it may be referred to as 'E-Borders'. The information you must provide will include, but not be limited to, full name - as shown in your passport or travel document, gender, date of birth, travel document type, number, country of issue and expiry date, and for travel to the U.S., your country of residence and the address for your first night’s stay. You must provide this information to the airline between 6 months and 24 hours before departure.

We may transfer your booking to another company within our group, but this will have no effect on your holiday arrangements.

3. Prices, Surcharging, and Air Passenger Duty

All guide prices we advertise are accurate at the date published, but we reserve the right to change any of those prices from time to time. Prices include a cost for fuel that was estimated at the date of this publication. Prices on our website are updated regularly. In the unlikely event of an administrative error leading to an incorrect price being displayed, we reserve the right to correct it. Offers are not combinable unless expressly stated and may be withdrawn at any time. All quotations are provisional until confirmed in writing on your Booking Confirmation and Invoice. Before you make a booking we will give you the up-to-date price of your chosen holiday including the cost of any supplements, upgrades or additional facilities which you have requested.

Changes in transportation costs, including without limitation the cost of fuel, dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports mean that the price of your travel arrangements may change after you have booked. However, there will be no change within 30 days of your departure. Any changes in taxes, entry fees and/or charges that we collect at net cost on behalf of local and government bodies will be passed on to you in full or refunded to you in full (Net Cost Charges). We will absorb and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums, Net Cost Charges and any amendment charges. You will be charged for the amount over and above that, plus an administration charge of £1.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents’ commission. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your travel arrangements, you may either accept a replacement holiday from us of equivalent or similar standard and price (at the date of the change) if we are able to offer you one or you may cancel your holiday booking and receive a full refund, except for any amendment charges. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice. If any change in our costs would cause a reduction in your holiday price, we will not make refunds of amounts less than 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums, Net Cost Charges and any amendment charges, but we will refund in full amounts exceeding such 2%, after deducting an administration charge of £1.00 per person. However, please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.

In all cases, we will only consider an appropriate refund of insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy. Dates and itineraries shown for tours are indicative only and subject to change. Air Passenger Duty "APD", which is payable by all passengers departing from UK airports, is included in the price of your holiday/flight ticket. Children under 16 are exempt when travelling in economy class. The price of your holiday will include APD for an economy seat. If you upgrade to a premium cabin this will be included in the upgrade cost. In view of the current volatility of world oil prices, a fuel supplement may be added to the price of your holiday at the time of booking.

4. Insurance

Adequate and valid travel insurance for your chosen itinerary is compulsory for all travellers and it is a condition of accepting your booking that you agree you will have obtained adequate and valid travel insurance. We recommend you take out insurance as soon as your booking is confirmed. You are strongly advised to insure yourself against any possible risk that may occur and in particular to ensure that you have sufficient insurance in respect of dependent relatives and force majeure events. You are required to carry proof of insurance with you and produce it if reasonably requested by Company employees or suppliers.

You are responsible for ensuring that you are in possession of travel insurance for the entire duration of your holiday in respect of at least medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, with cover/benefits equal to/greater than the insurance we offer. You must ensure that there are no exclusion clauses which limit cover for the type of activities included, or the altitudes attained, in your holiday.

Furthermore, you must advise us of the details of your own insurance including the name of the insurer and the policy number as soon as possible. Our representative abroad has the right to see the policy so that appropriate advice and assistance can be given. Clients in breach of this condition will be deemed to have indemnified the Company for any loss incurred by the Company as a result of such breach and such costs will be redeemable from them.

5. If You Change or Cancel Your Holiday

5.1 If, after our Booking Confirmation has been issued, you (i) make a change to your existing booking, we will charge an amendment fee of £35 per change (ii) or wish to change to another holiday or change departure date, we will try to make the changes subject to availability, provided that notification is received in writing at our offices from the lead name at least 69 days before departure for bookings made via an agent, or at least 83 days before departure for bookings made directly with us and you pay £35 per person to cover our administration costs.

5.2 In addition to the fee we charge, any alteration, whether a change to an existing booking or a change to another holiday or departure date, will also be subject to payment by you of any costs imposed by any of the suppliers providing the component parts of the booking. If the holiday to which you transfer is more expensive than the one you originally booked, a further deposit will also be payable. Any alteration by you within 69 days of departure for bookings made via an agent, or within 83 days of departure for bookings made directly with us will be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and will be subject to cancellation charges.

5.3 Subject to section 5.4, where you are unable to travel you can transfer your booking to another person, providing the following conditions are met: a) you must notify us in writing at least 69 days before departure for bookings made via an agent, or at least 83 days before departure for bookings made directly with us and give us authority to make the transfer; and b) your request is accompanied by all original travel documents which you have received and the full name and address of the person to whom you wish to transfer your holiday booking ("transferee"); and c) the transferee is acceptable to us, accepts the transfer and these Booking Conditions and fulfils any conditions that apply to the booking; and d) payment is made by you of an administrative charge of a minimum of £35 per person plus payment of all costs charged or levied by those supplying your travel arrangements. Both the transferor and transferee will be jointly and severally liable for payment of the holiday price and other associated expenses.

5.4 Some airline carriers and other transport providers treat name and departure detail changes, such as date and time changes, as a cancellation. If you miss a portion of your flight journey, some airline carriers and other transport providers treat this as a cancellation and may cancel the rest of your flights. It is your responsibility to check with the relevant airline to ensure the subsequent journeys have not been cancelled as, if this does happen, you may be charged again for the missed flight and any subsequent journeys. Accordingly you may have to pay for the cancelled ticket and be required to pay for the full cost of a new ticket. Once airline tickets have been issued, all changes are likely to incur the cost of a new ticket.

5.5 When the price per person is dependent on the number of people in the accommodation and the number of people changes, the price will be recosted based on the new party size. Any increase in price payable is not a cancellation charge. A separate cancellation charge will be levied in respect of bookings cancelled. A new confirmation invoice will be issued as appropriate on which the cancellation charge will be shown.

5.6 You, or any member of your party, may cancel your booking at any time providing that the cancellation is made by the lead name in writing. Notice of cancellation will be effective upon receipt by us of your written communication. As we start to incur costs from the time the contract is confirmed we will retain your deposit and in addition will apply other cancellation charges as shown below. These charges are based on how many days before your booked departure we received your cancellation notice. These charges are a percentage of the total cost of your booking, not including your insurance premium. If you want to cancel one or more passengers on the booking you will have to pay a proportion of the applicable cancellation charge based on the number of passengers you wish to cancel from the booking:

Period before departure when written notice of cancellation is received by us

Cancellation charge as a % of total holiday cost*

Bookings made via Agent

Direct Bookings

More than 69 days

More than 83 days

Loss of deposit

56-69 days (inclusive)

56-83 days (inclusive)

30%

36-55 days (inclusive)

36-55 days (inclusive)

50%

22-35 days (inclusive)

22-35 days (inclusive)

70%

11-21 days (inclusive)

11-21 days (inclusive)

90%

0-10 days (inclusive)

0-10 days (inclusive)

100%

* Please note that for certain travel arrangements e.g. many scheduled transport providers, the cancellation charge may be higher than those shown.

In certain cases a 100% cancellation fee applies as soon as the booking is made and the ticket is issued. Please ask for full details of cancellation charges at time of booking. We strongly recommend you to take out insurance that includes cover against irrecoverable cancellation costs. Additionally, you will remain responsible for the full amount of your insurance premium and this will not be refunded in the event of your cancellation. You may however be able to transfer this cover to another holiday. If you are travelling on a scheduled flight, we cannot give you any refund until we have received your old travel documents, including tickets.

5.7 All communications relating to this contract (in particular any requests to cancel or amend your holiday arrangements) must be from the Lead Name in writing and in English and delivered by hand or email [email protected] (please call also to ensure your email has been received) or sent by recorded delivery post to Specialist Holidays (Travel) Limited, The Atrium, London Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9SR.

6. If We Change or Cancel Your Holiday

We reserve the right to cancel your booking or change any of the facilities, services or prices described in our brochures or website. We will endeavour to advise you of any changes known at the time of booking.

We plan the arrangements for your holiday many months in advance and may occasionally have to cancel your holiday or make changes, most of which are minor. Flight timings and carriers shown in the brochure are for guidance only and are subject to change. Your Booking Confirmation will show the latest planned timings. Your actual flight timings will be shown on your ticket (including any e-ticket itinerary) which you should check carefully as soon as you receive it. A change of carrier or type of aircraft will not be considered a major change. If a major change becomes necessary, we will advise you of the change as soon as reasonably possible. Whether a change is 'major' depends on the nature of the holiday and may include: a significant change of destination, a change in accommodation to that of a lower category; a change in time of your scheduled departure or return flight by more than 12 hours (but not a flight delay); or a change of UK departure airport (excluding changes between London airports, London, Ebbsfleet and Ashford stations and between Dover/Folkestone ports). A delay to your flight that we need to make within 24 hours before you are due to depart will not be considered a major change unless the change is for more than 24 hours. These changes are only examples and there may be other significant changes which constitute major changes. When a major change occurs, you will have the choice of either:

accepting the change, or

accepting a replacement holiday from us of equivalent or similar standard and price (at the date of the change), if we are able to offer you one, or

cancelling your holiday, in which case you shall receive a full refund of all monies paid.

We may also have to cancel your travel arrangements. Operation of some holidays are dependent on a minimum number of persons booking the holiday. If that number is not achieved, we reserve the right to cancel the holiday. However we will not cancel your booking less than 4 weeks before the scheduled departure date except for reasons of force majeure (as defined below), or failure on your part to pay the deposit and/or final balance, or any other reason beyond our control. If we are forced to cancel your holiday after departure we will, wherever possible, make suitable alternative arrangements. If we are unable to make such alternative arrangements, or you reject these for good reason then we will return you to your point of departure and refund you for any unused services, if appropriate.

Where we make a major change to or cancel your holiday, except where a major change or cancellation arises from circumstances amounting to force majeure, consolidation due to minimum numbers not being attained, flight schedule changes, third party resort development, failure on your part to pay the deposit and/or final balance or for any other reason beyond our control, we will pay you, as a minimum, compensation as detailed below. Any compensation payable will be on these scales, based on how many days before your booked holiday departure we tell you of a major change:

Period before departure when we notify you of a major change

Compensation payable per person*

Before balance due date

Nil

Between balance due date and 29 days (inclusive) before departure

£10.00

Between 28 and 15 days (inclusive) before departure

£20.00

Between 14 and 8 days (inclusive) before departure

£30.00

7 days or less before departure

£40.00

This standard compensation payment will not affect your statutory or other legal rights. *We will only make one compensation payment for each full-farepaying adult in the holiday booking. Any children not paying the full adult fare will receive compensation on a pro rata basis of the adult fare. Children using a free child place will not receive any standard compensation payment.

We strongly recommend that you make no travel arrangements to your point of departure, make any connecting travel that is non-refundable or non-changeable or incurs penalties or incur any costs in respect of visas or vaccinations until such time as your travel itinerary has been confirmed on your Departure Documents. If you make such arrangements which you are then unable to use due to a change in your itinerary we shall not be liable to you for the cost of those arrangements.

Circumstances amounting to "force majeure" include any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not even with all due care, foresee or forestall such as (by way of example and not by way of limitation) war, threat of war, riots, civil disturbances, industrial disputes, actual or threatened terrorist activity and its consequences, natural or nuclear disasters, fire, acts of God, unavoidable and unforeseeable technical problems with transport for reasons beyond our control or that of our suppliers, closed or congested airports or ports, hurricanes and other actual or potential adverse weather conditions, flood, epidemics, health risks or pandemics illness and any other similar events.

In the unlikely event that there are any changes made to other holiday arrangements, we will try to tell you before you go, although we are not obliged to do so, nor are we obliged to compensate you. If your booking for other holiday arrangement are cancelled we will do our utmost to ensure you receive a full and prompt refund of the price of these arrangements.

Tour, Safari and Excursions: Some are dependent on minimum numbers, others will operate with one booking. In the case of insufficient demand we reserve the right to consolidate or cancel. If this is required you will be offered a full refund. We will not make any such changes within 69 days (for agent bookings) and 83 days (for direct bookings) of departure. We reserve the right to make changes such as dates, itineraries (those shown are indicative only, are subject to change and may be affected by local conditions), accommodation, cruise ship, boat. Changes to that of a similar standard will not be considered a major change. Should there be a discrepancy between the itinerary or additional information in the brochure or website and the Departure Documents, the latter information will be considered the most up-to-date and accurate.

7. Our Liability, Conditions of Carriage and Limitations

Our obligations, and those of our suppliers providing any service or facility included in your holiday, are to take reasonable skill and care to arrange for the provision of such services and facilities. You must show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make any claim. Standards of, for example, safety, hygiene and quality vary throughout the transport and destinations that your holiday may involve. Sometimes these standards will be lower than those which would be expected in the UK. The suppliers of the services and facilities included in your holiday should comply with local standards where they are provided.

Our liability, except in cases involving death, injury or illness, shall be limited to a maximum of 3 times the cost of your travel arrangements. Our liability in all cases will be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to the contractual terms of the companies that provide the transportation for your travel arrangements. These terms are incorporated into this contract; and any relevant international convention as detailed below.
We are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitation of compensation contained in these or any conventions. You can ask for copies of the transport companies’ contractual terms, or the international conventions, from our offices at Specialist Holidays (Travel) Limited, Legal Department, Origin One, 108 High Street, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1BD.

We shall have no liability where the cause of the failure to provide, or failure in, your holiday or any death or personal injury you may suffer is not due to any fault on our part or that of our agents or suppliers, because it is either attributable to you, or attributable to someone unconnected with your holiday and is unforeseeable or unavoidable, or is attributable to our employees, agents, subcontractors and suppliers and their staff whilst acting outside the scope of their employment, or is due to information, however obtained, from outside sources such as independent third party websites, or is due to unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or an event which neither we, nor our agents or suppliers could have foreseen or forestalled, or related to any consequential loss not directly connected to the contract with us.

If any international convention applies to, or governs, any of the services or facilities included in your holiday arranged or provided by us, or provided by any of our suppliers, and you make a claim against us of any nature arising out of death, injury, loss or damage suffered during or as a result of the provision of those services or facilities, our liability to pay you compensation and/or the amount (if any) of compensation payable to you by us will be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to that provided for by the international convention concerned (in each case including in respect of the conditions of liability, the time for bringing any claim and the type and amount of any damages that can be awarded). International Conventions which may apply include, without limitation: in respect of international air travel, the Warsaw Convention 1929 (as amended) or the Montreal Convention 1999; in respect of rail travel, the Berne Convention 1961; in respect of carriage by sea, the Athens Convention 1974; in respect of carriage by road, the Geneva Convention 1973; and, in respect of hotels, the Paris Convention 1962. For the avoidance of doubt, this means that we are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitations of compensation contained in any of these Conventions or any other international conventions applicable to your holiday. Other than as set out above, and as is detailed elsewhere in these booking conditions, we shall have no legal liability whatsoever to you for any loss or damage.

Under EU law, European Community Regulation (EC) No. 261/2004, you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from your airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation of or delay to flights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. However, you should note that reimbursement of the cost of a flight that forms part of your holiday is the responsibility of your holiday airline and will not automatically entitle you to reimbursement of the cost of your travel arrangement from us. Your right to a refund and/or compensation from us is set out in these Booking Conditions. If any payments to you are due from us, any payment made to you by the airline will be deducted from this amount. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Aviation Consumer Advocacy Panel on 020 7240 6061 or at www.caa.co.uk.

If you purchase any optional activities that are not part of your pre-booked itinerary, the contract for the provision of that activity will be between you and the activity provider. The decision to partake in any such activity is entirely at your own discretion and risk. If you do have any complaint about, or problem with, any optional activity purchased in resort your claim should be directed to the activity provider and not to us. However, should you or any member of your party by misadventure suffer illness, injury or death during the period of your holiday from an activity which does not form part of the arrangements made by us or an excursion purchased through us, we shall, where appropriate and subject to our absolute discretion, try to help if we can. We may help everyone on your booking up to a total cost of £5,000, as long as the following conditions are met:

(i) you must ask us for such assistance within 90 days of the misadventure;
(ii) You must make a claim under your insurance policy’s legal expenses or other appropriate section. You must show us proof that your insurance company has received your claim; and
(iii) in the event of there being a successful claim for costs against a third party or a suitable insurance policy or policies being in force, you must repay us the costs actually incurred by us in giving this assistance.

We may operate holidays in regions where standards of accommodation, transport, safety, hygiene, medical facilities and other infrastructure may, at times, be lower than those you normally expect. The outline itineraries given for each holiday must be taken as an indication of what should be accomplished, and not as a contractual obligation on our part. Changes in itinerary may be caused by local political conditions, flight cancellations, mechanical breakdown, weather, border restrictions, sickness, or other unforeseeable circumstances. Pro rata refunds will be given for services not utilised wherever possible. Please note that the timings of air, sea, road or rail departures are estimates only. These timings may be affected by operational difficulties, weather conditions or failure of passengers to check in on time.

Orient Express Bookings
In making any bookings for any rail travel (including but not limited to travel by the Orient Express) then your contract also incorporates the train owner / carriers (collectively, the "Carrier") terms and conditions (the "Passenger Conditions of Carriage") which shall govern the relationship, responsibilities and liabilities as between you, the passenger, and the Carrier. A copy of the Passenger Conditions of Carriage can be provided on request. By making your booking and accepting these terms, you also agree to these Passenger Conditions of Carriage and accept the conditions therein, you agree that any dispute that you raise directly with the Carrier will be governed by and subject to the terms and conditions of the Contract of Carriage. For the avoidance of doubt, this Agreement governs the relationship between you and us, and any dispute or claim that you raise with us will be subject to this Agreement and not the Passenger Conditions of Carriage and to the extent there is a conflict between this Agreement and the provisions of the Passenger Conditions of Carriage as they relate to you and us, this Agreement shall prevail and supersede the provisions of the Passenger Conditions of Carriage.

8. Air Carrier Liability for Passengers and their Baggage

Flight notice, flight information and EU blacklist. This is a notice required by European Community Regulation (EC) No. 889/2002. This notice cannot be used as a basis for a claim for compensation, nor to interpret the provisions of European Community legislation or the Montreal Convention, and it does not form part of the contract between the air carrier(s), us and you. No representation is made by the air carrier(s) or us as to the accuracy of the contents of this notice.

This information notice summarises the liability rules applied by European Community air carriers as required by European Community legislation and the Montreal Convention.

Compensation in the case of death or injury. There are no financial limits to the liability for passenger injury or death. For damages up to approximately 113,100 Special Drawing Rights (“SDRs”) the air carrier cannot contest claims for compensation. Above that amount, the air carrier can defend itself against a claim by proving that it was not negligent or otherwise at fault.

Advance payments. If a passenger is killed or injured, the air carrier must make an advanced payment, to cover immediate economic needs, within 15 days from the identification of the person entitled to compensation. In the event of death, this advance payment shall not be less than 16,000 SDRs .

Passenger delays. In case of passenger delay, the air carrier is liable for damage unless it took all reasonable measures to avoid the damage or it was impossible to take such measures. The liability for passenger delay is limited to 4,694 SDRs.

Baggage delays. In case of baggage delay, the air carrier is liable for damage unless it took all reasonable measures to avoid the damage or it was impossible to take such measures. The liability for baggage delay is limited to 1,131 SDRs.

Destruction, loss or damage to baggage. The air carrier is liable for destruction, loss or damage to baggage up to 1,131 SDRs. In the case of checked baggage, it is liable even if not at fault, unless the baggage was defective. In the case of unchecked baggage, the carrier is liable only if at fault.

Higher limits for baggage. A passenger can benefit from a higher liability limit by making a special declaration at the latest at check-in and by paying a supplementary fee.

Complaints on baggage. If the baggage is damaged, delayed, lost or destroyed, the passenger must write and complain to the air carrier as soon as possible. In the case of damage to checked baggage, the passenger must write and complain within seven days, and in the case of delay within 21 days, in both cases from the date on which the baggage was placed at the passenger's disposal.

Liability of contracting and actual carriers. If the air carrier actually performing the flight is not the same as the contracting air carrier, the passenger has the right to address a complaint or to make a claim for damages against either. If the name or code of an air carrier is indicated on the ticket, that air carrier is the contracting air carrier.

Time limit for action. Any action in court to claim damages must be brought within two years from the date of arrival of the aircraft, or from the date on which the aircraft ought to have arrived.

Basis for the information. The basis for the rules described above is the Montreal Convention of 28 May 1999, which is implemented in the European Community by European Community Regulation (EC) No. 2027/97 (as amended by European Community Regulation (EC) No. 889/2002) and national legislation of the Member States.
In accordance with European Community Regulation (EC) No. 2111/2005, Article 9, we are required to bring to your attention the existence of a ‘Community list’ which contains details of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban within the European Community. The Community list is available for inspection atwww.air-ban.europa.eu.

In accordance with European Community Regulation (EC) No. 2111/2005 we are required to advise you of the actual carrier operating your flight/connecting flight/transfer if your booking includes flight(s). We do this by listing carriers to be used or likely to be used on the Flights information section of our website.

The airline may use wide and narrow-body jets. Any changes to the actual airline after you have received your tickets will be notified to you as soon as possible and in all cases at check-in or at the boarding gate. Such a change is deemed to be a minor change. Other examples of minor changes include alteration of your outward / return flights by less than 12 hours, changes to aircraft type, change of accommodation to another of the same standard. Some flights may need to stop en route. If we know about this in advance we will tell you. Flight times shown in the brochure, on the website and on your booking confirmation are not guaranteed. Actual flight times are shown on your tickets. Flight times are local times based on the 24-hr system.

Please check with the airline regarding luggage allowance limits and the maximum allowable single item baggage weight. If you have a medical condition, serious illness, recently undergone surgery, or have suffered a recent accident, you must advise us and your airline and you may need to be cleared for travel by the airline which will involve obtaining a Fitness to Fly Certificate from your GP.

9. Complaints

If you have a complaint about your holiday whilst away, you must immediately notify our Service Representative and the relevant supplier of the service and contact us in the UK if further action is required by us. If you are not happy with their action taken in response please follow this up within 35 days of your return from holiday by writing to our Customer Relations Department at Specialist Holidays (Travel) Limited, The Atrium, London Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9SR or emailing us at [email protected], giving your booking reference and all relevant information. We will acknowledge your written notification within 7 days and aim to provide a full response within 28 days. We can also offer you ABTA’s scheme for the resolution of disputes, which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. If we can’t resolve your complaint, go to www.abta.com to use ABTA's simple procedure. Further information on the Code and ABTA's assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com. You can also access the European Commision Online Dispute (ODR) Resolution platform at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/. This ODR platform is a means of registering your complaint with us; it will not determine how your complaint should be resolved. If you prefer, you can take your complaint to the County Court or another suitable court. Information regarding complaints may be shared with other tour operators.

10. Behaviour

On tours, safaris and excursions provided by us, it is necessary that you abide by the authority of the leader, who represents the Company. If you commit any illegal act when on the holiday or if in our reasonable opinion or the reasonable opinion of the Company representative or another person in authority your behaviour is disruptive, threatening or abusive, causes unnecessary inconvenience or is causing or likely to cause danger, damage, distress or upset, disturbance or annoyance to others or others’ property, or puts any other traveler or our staff or agents in the UK or in resort in any risk or danger, on the telephone, in writing or in person, we may terminate your travel arrangements without any liability on our part.

If the Captain of your flight or ferry or any of our overseas staff or agents believes that you could be disruptive or that you are suffering from a contagious disease, they can also refuse to let you proceed with your travel arrangements, restrict your movements on board, disembark from the ferry or aircraft, or remove you from your accommodation or excursion. If this means you are not allowed to board the flight outbound from the UK, we will treat your booking as cancelled by you from that moment, and you will have to pay full cancellation charges. If this occurs overseas then you will become responsible for your own return home and any other members of your group who cannot or will not travel without you. In any of these circumstances no refunds or compensation will be paid to you and we will not be liable for any costs or expenses you incur. If you are refused carriage because of your behaviour, or you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, your airline may pass on your details and date of refusal of carriage to other airlines for their information. This in turn may make it difficult for you to book other airline tickets. In any of these circumstances no refunds or compensation will be paid to you and we may make a claim against you for any damages, costs and expenses (including legal expenses) incurred as a result of your behaviour including but not limited to (i) repairing or replacing property lost, damaged or destroyed by you, (ii) compensating any passenger, crew, staff or agent affected by your actions and (iii) the cost of diverting the aircraft or ferry to remove you. Criminal proceedings may also be instigated. If you are affected by any condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people’s enjoyment of the holiday, you must advise us of this at the time of booking.

The accommodation we arrange for you must only be used by those people named on your Booking Confirmation or Departure Documents. You are not allowed to share the accommodation or let anyone else stay there. You are responsible for the cost of any damage caused to your accommodation or its contents during your stay.

These charges must be met by you and may have to be paid locally. We expressly reserve the right to prevent you from participating in the excursions we provide, whether pre-booked or purchased in resort, if in the reasonable opinion of our staff or those of the excursion provider, you are either unsuited to undertake the excursion, or if you appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In these circumstances your sole remedy against us will be to obtain a refund of the cost of that excursion.

For the purpose of this section, reference to "you" or "your" includes any person in your party.

11. Visa, Health, Passport, Travel Documentation

It is essential that you ascertain whether or not you can obtain relevant visas and inoculations before making your booking, particularly for late bookings. Whilst we are able to provide basic advice to clients regarding passports and visa requirements, you should check with the appropriate embassy, consulate or the British Foreign Office for the exact requirements for your chosen holiday and date of travel. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct passport and visas to gain access to any country/region included in the travel arrangements which you purchase from us. If you fail to do so, we have no liability to you for any cost, loss or damage which you suffer, nor will we refund you the cost of any unused portion of your travel arrangements. In some cases, countries will refuse entry to clients who have criminal records.

Should you be concerned about this, please check with the embassy or consulate of the countries to which you are travelling. The lead name is entirely responsible for ensuring that all members of the group have the correct and valid documentation for travel. We cannot accept responsibility for any failure to comply resulting in any costs or fines being incurred and we advise you to check with your passport office or the consulate in question if you have any queries. Clients travelling overland to certain destinations may need to also pass through controls of other countries en-route so this should be allowed for with any passport/visa applications.

Please note that for some trips we need to request special permits, and as such we will require your passport details prior to accepting your booking. Furthermore, if you renew your passport after you have booked, you may be required to take your old passport with you to maintain the validity of the permit.

We are able to advise on mandatory health requirements; however, we are not medical experts. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain proper and detailed medical advice at least two months prior to travel for the latest health requirements, recommendations for your destination and any costs. You should check this information at least 2 months before departure and again within 14 days of travel. Where you do not do so and either are not allowed to enter any country, or suffer personal injury or death as a result, we have no liability to you for any cost, loss or damage which you suffer nor will we refund you the cost of any unused portion of your travel arrangements. Clients with existing medical problems, pregnant women and anyone who has recently visited other countries should check requirements with their general practitioner.

When assessing whether holidays will operate we use information from our local offices in conjunction with advice from the British Foreign Office and other relevant government bodies. It is your responsibility to acquaint yourself with the travel advice provided by these government bodies. For more information, please visit our Travel Aware page and the government websites at www.gov.uk/travelaware and www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for your destination country.

12. Privacy Policy

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU

Citalia is a trading name of Specialist Holidays (Travel) Limited is part of the Travelopia group of companies (https://www.travelopia.com/). Here at Citalia we understand the concerns about how data may be stored, sent and used by companies. We are committed to complying with all data protection laws and want you to feel confident in the measures we are taking to uphold your data privacy rights. This quick guide provides a brief summary of our data practices but you can always find out more detailed information in our full privacy policy.

WHAT INFORMATION MIGHT WE COLLECT FROM YOU?

The information we collect depends upon how you are interacting with us. For example, if you’re making a booking with us, we are likely to ask for more information than if you’re only requesting a brochure. Depending upon the circumstances, we might need to collect the following information from you: personal details such as name, address, e-mail address, date of birth, telephone number, payment details, details of identification documents, health details and travel preferences. For more details, please see our full privacy policy. Where we need to collect personal data by law or under the terms of a contract we have with you and you fail to provide that data when requested, we might not be able to provide you with your booking.

WHEN DO WE SHARE YOUR PERSONAL DATA?

In order to provide you with your booking you have requested (such as holidays, flights or tickets to a sports event) we may need to share your personal information with third parties such as airlines, tour operators, transport companies, excursion providers, airport authorities, insurance companies, car hire companies, ground handling agencies, cruise companies, airlines, hotels, airports and other suppliers we work with in connection with your business. We do not pass your information to other parties for marketing purposes unless you agree to us doing so.

WHAT ARE OUR MARKETING PRACTICES?

We would like to keep you up to date with latest offers, partnerships, sales, promotions, and competitions from Citalia or those of other Travelopia companies providing similar products. However, we will only do so if you have signed up to receive these marketing communications from us or made a booking and you have not told us that you do not want to hear from us. You can opt-out of marketing at any time by clicking on the ‘unsubscribe’ link included in all of our e-mails or by

WHAT PERSONAL DATA RIGHTS DO YOU HAVE?

You have a range of legal rights over your data. You can find out more in our full privacy policy.

HOW CAN CONTACT US ABOUT YOUR DATA PRIVACY?

We have appointed a data protection officer (DPO)/data privacy manager who can assist with queries you have in relation to our data practices. If you have questions, please contact the DPO/data privacy manager using the details set out below.

The Data Protection Officer/Data Privacy Manager

Citalia Origin One,

108 High Street,

Crawley,

West Sussex

RH10 1BD

This privacy notice version was last updated on 10th May 2018.

13. Departure Documents

We issue Departure Documents for your booking. All the information contained therein will be deemed to be part of the contract. Your Departure Documents will be sent to you by email or post, depending on the type of booking you have made, approximately 21 days before your holiday. Further copies can be obtained from us by contacting Customer Services (see above) or from Specialist Holidays (Travel) Limited, The Atrium, London Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9SR. Departure Documents contain up-to-date definitive information about the itinerary and travel arrangements. Should there be a discrepancy between the information in the brochure or website, prior documentation and the final Departure Documents we send to you, the information in the Departure Documents supersedes the previous information and will be considered the most up-to-date and accurate.

14. Special Requests

We will consider special requests such as vegetarian meals, high or low floor preferences in the accommodation, when you book. We will tell you whether there is a charge for the request. We can only guarantee requests for which there is a charge, or those that are confirmed in writing. It is your responsibility to advise us of any special requirements.

15. Participation Requirements

All clients are expected to satisfy themselves prior to booking that they are fit and able to complete the itinerary of their chosen holiday as described in this brochure. Anyone suffering from mobility impairment, illness or disability or undergoing treatment for any physical or medical condition must declare the true nature of such condition at the time of booking and make arrangements for the provision of any medication or other treatment which may be required during the holiday. Failure to make such disclosure will constitute a breach of these booking conditions and result in such persons being excluded from the holiday in which case all monies paid will be forfeit.

Unaccompanied passengers under the age of 18 years need a letter of consent from a parent or legal guardian. The minimum age of unaccompanied travel is 16 years on the date of departure.

Credit cards are required in many hotels and for all vehicle hire for all destinations. A deposit amount will be held. You must ensure you have a card and the relevant credit available.

16. Law & Jurisdiction

If you booked your holiday in any jurisdiction other than in Scotland or Northern Ireland (including any booking via the internet), this contract, and any other claim or dispute arising from or related to this contract, will be governed by English law and the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising out of it. If you booked your holiday in Scotland, this contract, and any claim or dispute arising from or related to this contract, will be governed by Scottish law and the courts of Scotland shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising out of it. If you booked your holiday in Northern Ireland, this contract, and any claim or dispute arising from or related to this contract, will be governed by Northern Irish law and the courts of Northern Ireland shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising out of it.

Travelopia Modern Slavery Statement

Essential Information

Special Requests

If you have any special requests for a facility not advertised by us and for which there is no supplementary charge, for example double bed, adjoining rooms, special diets, etc., we will convey your request to the hotel or purveyor of services concerned, but only those special requests confirmed in writing by Citalia or its agents can be guaranteed. We cannot accept bookings conditional upon the fulfilment of any special request.

Special Needs

We appreciate that clients with special needs have specific requirements that must be met to ensure a successful holiday. Please ask for our Special Needs form before making your booking in order that we can assess your personal requirements. However, this may not be available for late bookings. We will do our best to find a holiday to suit you, however, we may be unable to meet your particular needs.

Price Match Guarantee

In the unlikely event that you find a more competitive price at the time of booking, we will undertake to match the price of our competitor’s holiday. This guarantee is restricted to hotel’s marked with the price guarantee stamp on our website. In order to qualify for our price match guarantee all the components of the holiday must be identical including the dates, airline, flight times, hotel and room types. We must also receive written confirmation of the competitors quote within 24 hours of the request. The alternative holiday must be provided by a fully bonded (ATOL & ABTA) Tour Operator, bookings made within 8 weeks of departure are excluded from this guarantee. This offer is only valid on new bookings, made on or after the 3rd February 2009. Where we are unable to price match for whatever reason, we will offer a full refund on your holiday.

Rail holidays

Rail holidays (excluding Venice Simplon-Orient-Express) are provisionally booked on request, and are confirmed 6-8 weeks before departure date. In May and June, when rail schedules change, there is an additional delay and reservations may be confirmed 2-4 weeks before departure. We will endeavour to book the class of travel requested. In the unlikely event, however, that your preferred class of travel is not available when the reservation system opens up you will be entitled to the options specified in the paragraph ‘If We Change or Cancel Your Holiday’.

Accommodation Only Bookings

Citalia can only accept responsibility for matters directly linked to the contract between us. Should it be necessary for us to amend or cancel an accommodation only booking we cannot accept liability in respect to any costs you may incur in respect of any other service or product, including flights, you have purchased independently of Citalia. An Accommodation only booking fee will apply. No payments whatsoever shall be made in this respect as our contract with you is solely for the provision of accommodation only.

Website and Brochure Accuracy

We reserve the right to make changes to the particulars contained on this website and in our brochure before a contract is concluded. We take every precaution to ensure that the descriptions of each property and facility are as accurate as possible at the time of publication. However, circumstances can change after publication. For example, all the facilities in a resort might not be fully functional in early or late season. Sometimes a hotel may change its meal system from waiter service to buffet service, or back again or the number and type of restaurants may change. A pool may be closed for maintenance, or air conditioning may only be available at certain times of the day and/or year. We reserve the right to make changes after publication of information. Public holidays and religious festivals may also affect the availability of resort and hotel facilities. The tourist office for your chosen destination can provide details of such events, and other information. We will tell you of any significant changes that we know about when you book your holiday. If you book through a travel agent, they can check the reservations system or website for any changes in conditions. If you have already booked, we will tell you of any significant change in circumstances which would affect your holiday as soon as we can before you leave. We cannot accept liability for information, however obtained, from outside sources such as independent third party websites.

What Is Included In Your Holiday Price

We know that each of our clients has different requirements of their holiday, so we offer a fully flexible approach to building and pricing each holiday, using separate components of accommodation, flights, transfers and optional extras (such as excursions). However, in order to give some guidance to the holiday price for the most popular itineraries, the price panels throughout this brochure display guide prices based on specific holiday durations, room types, board basis, flights and overseas transfers or car hire (as specified). We will make your arrangements to your exact requirements and quote / confirm your price (which may differ from the guide price, depending on your inclusions). Your confirmation / invoice will specify exactly what is included in your arrangements.

NB our arrangements always include: airport / port taxes, hotel service charges, handling fees and VAT and our Concierge Service where a representative or agent in Italy is available by telephone for help and advice.

What Is Not Included In Your Holiday Price

Surcharges as mentioned in the Core Terms and Conditions "Prices"

Holiday insurance which is compulsory

Accommodation for guests not named on your invoice

All items of personal expenditure and all items not specifically indicated as being included. NB our liability starts and ends at the UK airport, station or port of your departure and arrival (excluding any arrangement that Citalia have not booked on your behalf)

Consequential loss not directly linked to the pre-paid contract

Porterage

Transfers between Gare du Nord and Paris Bercy stations in Paris or between stations and hotels in Paris

Car Parking

Optional excursions

Charges made by hotels for sun-beds, tennis courts and any other activity or equipment

Prices

The basic price of your holiday, when sharing, is determined by the actual dates of your stay, your choice of travel eg air/rail and your accommodation. There may also be supplements (eg for single room, balcony, sea view, full board etc). All supplements unless otherwise stated are expressed in £'s and are per person per night. Please note that these supplements only apply to facilities booked and confirmed in the UK. Any facility not confirmed nor prepaid for in the UK but provided locally, at your request, must be paid for at the hotel’s rates and Citalia cannot accept any liability for this.

Credit Card Payment

We can only accept card payments from passengers travelling on the booking.

In-flight Catering and Baggage Allowance

An increasing number of airlines are choosing not to offer a complimentary meal in-flight and there may be a charge for in-flight refreshments. Baggage allowance varies between airlines, please ask us for up-to-date information.

Flight Seats

We cannot guarantee you will be seated together. Some airlines offer a 'Sitting together' supplement. 'Sitting together' may mean across the aisle or one behind the other. Some airlines offer a supplement for a priority boarding service. Charges remain valid even if this service is not available at your chosen airport. Online check-in is not always available and is dependent on the type of flight booked and the operational requirements of the airline concerned.

Actual flight numbers are not known at the time of publication. We reserve the right to substitute alternative carriers and/or aircraft types if necessary. Airline schedules may vary, sometimes ar short notice, and an unexpected change of aircraft may be necessary. Compensation is not payable for such changes. Due to airline policy most flights will be non-smoking and some may not serve alcohol. We strongly recommend that you purchase flexible tickets if you are making independent arrangements to meet ongoing flights, as we will not refund unused tickets purchased independantly when scheduled flight times change. Delays, for whatever reason, are the responsibility of the airline and subject to their conditions of contract. Where a delay results in lost holiday time, no refunds are given for unused accommodation and meals. Similarly airlines, do not always offer compensation for flight delays and will not alter your homeward flight to account for any lost holiday resulting from outbound flight delays. We cannot accept any loss arising out of a) missed connections; or b) cancellation or change of flights unless they are part of the package booked by us. If you miss your outbound flight please notify your airline as soon as possible in order that your homeward flight is not affected. On-line check-in is not always available and is dependant on the type of flight booked and meals may not automatically be included.

Carriage of Prohibited Items

There are strict rules about bringing prohibited food items, such as animal products, back into the EU even if they are meant for personal use. Useful information can be found at www.hmrc.gov.uk and www.direct.gov.uk/dontbringmeback. A number of items are prohibited in hold luggage, such as explosives and flammable products, so you must not travel with these products. To see the list of items and some useful information about hold luggage and hand luggage prohibited items, go to www.direct.gov.uk or contact your airline.

Seats With Extra Space

These are often close or next to emergency exit doors, behind a bulkhead or behind a dividing wall. They may therefore have additional space in front of the seat, but not always additional room to stretch your legs out. Emergency exit row seats are only available to passengers who are able to move quickly and operate the emergency exit without difficultly if necessary in line with European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) regulations.

Just a few things to bear in mind before you book an emergency exit row seat:

Any passengers who because of… - physical or mental impairment or disability - age or sickness - physical size - have difficulty moving quickly cannot sit in these seats.

Neither can anyone… - under the age of 14 (whether accompanied or not) - who requires an extension seatbelt - under the influence of alcohol - travelling with an assistance animal.

These regulations have been put in place by the EASA and are for the safety of all passengers. The cabin crew have the final say and we kindly ask that their decisions are respected. Seats with extra space can be pre-booked on a number of airlines for an extra charge. Please either select the option when you’re booking your holiday, or call our Customer Services Team to request an amendment. Extra Leg Room seats are not available to pre-book on all airlines. Some choose to allocate these seats at check-in due to the restrictions listed above.

Hotel Categories

As a tour operator we are obliged by law to print the official category awarded to the properties featured in our programme. The official star ratings are awarded by the Italian National Tourist office in each region. They may not be comparable to UK ratings and the quality of hotels within the same category can vary immensely. The awards are based on certain facilities or services being available. They do not, however, take into account the size of the bedrooms or public rooms nor the décor.

Agriturismo / Country House / Historic Residence

Some properties in this brochure have been described as Agriturismo / Country House / Historic Residence and may have no star rating. These terms are often used for country houses, farms or historical preserved buildings which are often family run.

Accommodation

Bedroom facilities: Descriptions apply to twin rooms in hotels and facilities may vary for other room types. All rooms contracted by Citalia have private wc, bath and/or shower. In some Italian hotels a shower facility is provided in the bathroom, but without cubicle or curtains. This sometimes means the water drains through the hole in the bathroom floor rather than through the drain in the shower cubicle. In some cases when a room is described as having a terrace, this may be an area shared by more than one room. Where we state a 'French' or 'small' balcony, there may only be enough room to stand. It is not normal practice in Italy to have tea and coffee making facilities in the room. Certain electric items cannot be used in hotel rooms, such as water heating elements, kettles, irons, etc except those provided by the hotel. Minibars may not necessarily be stocked.

Bedroom photography: The photographs do not necessarily depict the room type that will be allocated to you, which may vary in size, décor and style from that shown.

Hotel views: When a room is described as having a sea view, this means that such a view may be obtained from it. It does not imply that the room faces the sea and frequently only a side sea view may be obtained from the window or balcony. Where sea views are described as ‘front’ sea view this means the view from the bedroom window faces the sea. Where rooms have a sea view for which no supplement is charged, the nature of the views may vary from room to room. This also applies to other specific views, for example 'lake view' or 'city view'.

Single rooms: Despite the supplement payable for single accommodation, it should be noted that the size, standard and location of such rooms are sometimes inferior to those of other types of rooms, and may not have all the amenities we have described as being available in a twin room.

Double rooms: In Italy, it is normal practice to link two single beds together to use as a double bed.

Triple rooms: When 3 people share a room this is usually on the basis of adding an extra bed, (which may be a fold up bed), to a normal twin room and may be rather cramped.

Suites: Unless otherwise stated, a Junior Suite typically consists of one room. Suites are two rooms one of which is a bedroom (unless otherwise stated) with a separate seating area.

Orient Express: Your cabin will have a washbasin, and toilet facilities are located in the corridor.

Hotel Check-In Times

The accepted practise for most hotels is that check-in is not normally before 3.00pm. You will require a credit card to check-in and a deposit may be taken from the card for the duration of your stay. Facilities are usually available to freshen up and hotel facilities may be used until your room is ready.

On the day of departure, you will usually be requested to vacate your room by 10.00am and most hotels will look after your luggage and provide a day room if your flight is not until the evening. You may have to pay a supplement if you wish to retain your room until the evening. Your Confirmation Invoice will confirm the number of nights reserved for you.

Hotel Meals

Breakfast may be 'continental' where extras such as eggs, bacon and fruit juice may be available for an additional charge. Please note that in peak season you may be asked to share a table and to select your choice of evening meal at breakfast.

Half board, Full board and All Inclusive is often based on a set menu, buffet or meal voucher system. At some hotels, where an à la carte menu is also available, guests who have paid for half / full board may have the opportunity to dine à la carte receiving a credit for the half board meal. Any amount that exceeds the credit is payable locally. Because flight, train and transfer times can vary, it is sometimes impossible for customers to enjoy a complete number of days’ half or full board meals at the hotel.

Whenever vegetarian meals are requested, this request will be passed on, however, we cannot guarantee their provision by hotels or airlines. Under Italian Law smoking is prohibited in all public places but dedicated smoking sections are available in certain hotels.

Villas & Apartments

Cleaning: Normal end of stay cleaning is included but a supplement will be charged if the kitchen area and equipment are not left clean for the next guests.

Kitchen facilities: Where provided, these will normally consist of a minimum of 2 gas rings or electric hotplates, a refrigerator, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery.

Gas, water and electricity: Included.

Linen: Excepting beach/poolside towels, is provided. Heating: Where heating is available but not included it will be charged locally. Please note however, that the provision of central heating is subject to compliance with the fuel saving requirements current in Italy which normally limits heating to Apr and Oct.

Check-in times: Villas/apartments are not normally ready for guests until 4.00 pm and check-out must be by 10.00 am on the day of departure.

Breakage deposits: Where our villa/apartment owners require a breakage deposit against possible loss or damage, the deposit requirement details are normally shown in the description or will be advised on your itinerary.

Deposits for:

(i) Villas: On arrival at the villa your credit card details will be taken by our concierge or the villa owner/manager in lieu of a cash deposit. During the final cleaning any breakages/damage discovered will be reported to Citalia, who will contact you on your return to confirm the charges to be debited to your credit card. (ii) Apartments: Deposit payments are payable on arrival to our concierge or to the owner or the manager and payments may be made by Eurocheque, traveller's cheque or cash. Deposits are returned on departure subject to deductions for any damages incurred.

Occupancy: Only those guests whose names appear on the Citalia confirmation invoice & accommodation voucher may occupy the apartments or villas. Any unauthorised guests will be charged locally.

Accommodation only bookings: Guests buying accommodation only will be responsible for any costs incurred due to late arrival at the accommodation. Key collection is normally available until 20.00hrs. Late arrivals who cannot collect keys until the following day will be liable for any costs incurred in alternative overnight accommodation. Citalia therefore, cannot accept any liability for any loss or additional expense and no refunds will be made.

Air Conditioning & Heating in Hotels

The period in the season and times of day when these operate are at the discretion of the management.

Swimming Pools

If a pool is expected to be out of use for a considerable period, we will endeavour to inform you as soon as reasonably possible.The normal period of use for outdoor pools is May-Sep. Italian law requires the use of a swimming cap in pools and may be enforced at certain hotels.

Pool and Beach Charges & Facilities

The period of use is subject to the discretion of the management. Charges are payable locally for any additional facilities including sunbeds. Most hotels do not provide towels for use on the beach or at the pool.

Private Beaches In Italy

There may be a charge to use the facilities unless we state in the description that beach charges are included. Please note that the beach may not be for the exclusive use of hotel guests.

Special Offers

Where an offer includes one or two free nights’ accommodation this will be on the board basis included in the basic holiday price. If you choose to upgrade your board basis you will be required to pay the board supplement even on the nights when the accommodation is free. The first/second nights of the stay will be considered the free nights. Some hotels offer wine, sparkling wine, fruit or flowers, room upgrades or other gifts and these must be claimed in resort as we cannot refund against non provision of these offers. You are required to indicate your eligibility for the offers at the time of booking your holiday and you should supply a copy of the relevant document. Percentage discounts shown against a hotel (e.g. 10% early booking discount) apply to that specific accommodation.

The discount excludes flights, taxes transfers, fuel surcharges, opera and event tickets, credit card charges, administration fees, some excursions and any other accommodation on the booking (unless this shows its own discount).

Car Parking & Garaging Arrangements

There are often car parking restrictions in towns and cities and parking arrangements can be expensive. Where a hotel description indicates that a garage is available charges normally apply and are payable locally.

Television

Hotel Lifts

Where a hotel has a lift there may still be some steps to negotiate in or outside the hotel.

Children's Reductions

Some hotels offer reductions for children aged 16 and under (on date of return), and these will be reflected in your holiday price.

Children Under Two

Children under two years old on the date of return travel, pay from £30 provided that no aircraft, rail seat or sleeper is occupied. It may be possible to book a seat for your child under 2 years only and bring your own infant car seat to use on the aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority allows passengers travelling on British registered airlines with a child aged between 6 months and 2 years to either carry the infant on their lap, for our normal charge or pay for a seat (prices on application) and bring their own infant car seat. In this case, you must advise our reservations staff and obtain further information prior to confirming your booking. Only CAA approved seats are allowed on the aircraft and it is essential to check in early and bring the operating instructions. Should the CAA make the above option mandatory, we reserve the right to charge the appropriate extra seat price for all infants affected. No food or baggage allowance is provided for children under two years old. If this is unacceptable, you will be entitled to cancel with a full refund of all monies paid. Citalia cannot accept any liability should the airline subsequently refuse the use of a car seat.

Cots

Cots are not available in some hotels and villas. Please check availability with our reservations staff. Hoteliers normally charge for the use of a cot and service and the cost must be paid locally.

Expectant Mothers

Airline regulations vary and some refuse permission to fly to women who will be 28 weeks (or more) pregnant on the date of their return journey. Please check with the airline if in doubt.

Transfers and Distances

Any given distances and transfer times are approximate and are based on normal weather and traffic conditions and an average state of health / agility.

Transfers

Transfers can be arranged on request and are not included unless specifically stated on your confirmation invoice. They will not be private transfers unless it is stated on your invoice. Private transfer means sole use of the vehicle, which may be a car or mini-bus.

Porterage

It is not always possible for a coach or minibus to pick up/drop off guests at the door of the hotel. Where there are traffic restrictions or the road is too steep or narrow our resort staff will arrange the most convenient setting down point. This can apply in towns and cities and it is particularly common in Venice where transfers (if booked as an optional extra) are by water taxi boat and access to landing stages can be dependant on the tide. Please note that porters are rarely available in Venice, therefore bags with wheels can be useful.

Resort Development

From time to time, building work or local improvements, such as beach dredging or roadwork, and its associated noise is unavoidable in a resort. We have no control over such works arising from a resort's growth in popularity and we are unable to anticipate the speed or the extent to which such development may occur. If we learn of specific developments at or close to your accommodation, which are likely to significantly affect the enjoyment of your holiday, then we will do our best to contact you before departure. We will discuss the details and any options available to you at that time, but cannot offer compensation if changes are made due to third parties.

Noise

In cities you may be able to hear street/traffic noise in your room. The resort and hotel descriptions will help you identify those which are stated to be in quiet locations and those which may not be (eg. hotels in or close to town centres, or near to main roads or railways lines).

Local Holidays

During local and national holidays, certain facilities and museums may not be available and therefore sightseeing tours and shopping may be limited and transport may be affected. Please check with the Italian State Tourist Office (1 Princes St, London, W1B 2AY. Tel: (020) 7408 1254) for details. Please note many galleries and state museums are closed on Mondays.

Force Majeure

Force Majeure incidents may occur during your holiday, either in the resort or country you are in, or elsewhere but affecting your onward or homeward journey. If you are requested to return home early or move hotels for your safety, or whilst your inbound / onward flight is rescheduled, we will not pay compensation for downgrades or facility changes and cannot refund unused components. If you choose not to change hotels during such delays, we will be unable to consider a refund of additional costs you incur. If you choose to make your own way home and not accept or wait for your confirmed carrier to offer the rescheduled journey, we are unable to consider a refund of any accommodation, welfare or transport costs you incur, and cannot guarantee a refund of your unused costs.

Opera Tickets and Pre-booked Venue tickets

Opera and concert tickets can usually be reserved for you in advance and we can normally confirm tickets within a week or two. There may, however, be exceptions and we will confirm tickets as soon as possible. If tickets are booked on a client’s behalf, an administration charge will apply and in some instances a pre booking fee is levied by the theatre. The price you pay will therefore be more than the face value shown on your tickets. Cancellation charges at 100% will apply once the tickets are confirmed, even if they have not been issued. Travel Agents, please note that no commission is payable for our booking service. Programmes are subject to change (up to day of performance without refunds being due). Also see Local holidays.

Your Right to Holiday Health Care in Europe

At the time of going to press there were no particular health requirements for British Citizens going to Italy. If you are a UK resident you are entitled to free, or reduced cost, state provided healthcare when visiting Italy. The UK has recently adopted the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The card and the booklet "Health Advice for Travellers" can be obtained from the Post Office. Forms are also available to download from the Department of Health’s website: www.dh.gov.uk/travellers. The card must be in-date and is not a substitute for travel insurance as it only pays for some emergency medical cover and doesn't cover repatriation home.

Passports & Visas

British Citizens must be in possession of a valid 10-year passport. If you are 16 or over and haven't yet got a passport, our recommendation is that you should apply for one at least 6 weeks before your holiday. The UK Passport Service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and from October 2006 will ask you to attend an interview in order to do this. Everybody, including children and new born babies (who were not on a valid passport before 5th October 1998) must have their own individual passport to travel abroad. Children under 16 years who were included on an adults passport may not travel unless accompanied by that adult. Written authorisation from the other parent may be required if a child is travelling with one parent only. If you are not a British Citizen, you should check visa regulations with the Italian Consulate by phoning 0207 235 9371 or on their website at www.embitaly.org.uk and any other consulates if you are travelling through other countries by road, rail or cruise. At the time of going to print British Citizens do not require a visa to visit Italy. Passports and visa requirements may change so you should check the up-to-date position in good time for departure and ensure you allow enough time to obtain a visa if required. We cannot accept liability, or consider refunds for clients who cannot travel because of insufficient or incorrect documentation. If you are refused check-in or entry to your destination because you do not have the appropriate documentation, we cannot guarantee a refund of unused components and will not refund any additional costs incurred. Should we incur additional costs, these will be recovered from you.

Local Laws & Customs

Laws and customs of the countries you visit can be very different to those in the UK. Be aware of your actions to ensure that they do not offend, especially if you intend to visit religious areas. There may be serious penalties for doing something that might not be illegal in the UK. You are strongly advised to check with the appropriate embassy, consulate or British and Commonwealth Office or https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for further information regarding local laws and customs of the countries you plan to visit. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with, and respect local laws and customs. If you fail to do so, we will have no liability to you for any cost, loss or damage which you suffer nor will we refund you the cost of any unused portion of your travel arrangements.

Passenger Name Records (PNR) or Advance Passenger Information (APIS)

Passenger information is required in advance by a number of countries and airlines. It is your responsibility to provide this information to us or the airline as instructed. Failure to do so may result in you being denied boarding or refused entry to your destination. You will be liable for any additional costs incurred.

Emergency Contact Details (ECD)

ECD may be required by us or the airline. It is your responsibility to provide this information if required. Your APIS and ECD data will be handled as described in our Data Protection Policy.

Machine Readable Passports

An increasing number of countries require Machine Readable Passports. Please check with the relevant embassy or consulate for up-to-date information.

No Smoking Policy

Since 10 January 2005, a no smoking policy has been introduced throughout Italy and applies to all public places including nightclubs, bars, cafés, shops, museums etc and includes public areas of hotels. Smoking is only permitted in private homes, hotel rooms (at hotel’s discretion), in the open air or designated specially adapted rooms (which are few). A fine is imposed on anyone who flouts this law and the police are vigilant.

Car Hire

Great Quality Car Hire from only £31* per day.

Having a car at your disposal gives you the freedom to explore Italy and go wherever you please. *Based on group B. Other groups available.

Citalia has partnered with Hertz; providers of superior car rental for over 90 years, to provide you with first rate service when hiring a car. We have exclusively negotiated exceptionally low rates which include a second driver at no additional charge and only apply to bookings made in the UK. Minimum car hire is 1 day and cars must be booked at least 24 hours in advance.

For car hire upgrades and further information please call us on 01293 762410*.

Please note: In certain areas parking can be difficult and some hotels do not have their own parking facilities. Please ask for details at the time of booking.

Price Includes

Not Included

• Deposit (you will be required to leave an imprint of a credit card on pick-up, please note that the person in whose name the vehicle is booked must be the person whose credit card is used) • Garaging, parking, petrol and traffic fines • Baby/child seat • Delivery/collection charges if car is delivered to or collected from your hotel • One-way drop off charges • Non waivable excess on Theft Protection and Collision Damage Waiver (minimum of 1,100 Euros). Additional insurance to eliminate these excesses can be purchased locally • Supplement for drivers aged 25 years and under (payable locally) • Personal Accident Insurance

Car Hire Terms & Conditions

Cars returned more than 29 minutes later than the time collected incur a day's extra rental at local rates. Drivers must be minimum age of 23 years and have held a licence for at least one year. If travelling with a new card licence you will need to bring both the card and paper copy with you. You will need your licence and passport for identification purposes when taking possession of the car. Cars must be returned to the place specified by the car rental company otherwise parking charges will be charged to your credit card or deducted from your deposit. If a car in the group you require is not available, the car rental company reserves the right to supply a higher group vehicle at no extra charge.

Excursions

Please note that we do our best to maintain prices of excursions at the same level as is payable locally. However, on occasion the pre-bookable price may be slightly higher than that paid locally overseas due to exchange rate fluctuations and in order for us to secure places on some of the more popular trips. Please note that for any adhoc tickets such as operas, sporting and theatre tickets, an administration fee of £25 plus agency charges is added to the price of your ticket for this service. In some cases it is necessary to ask you to pay in full at the time of booking for your tickets in order to secure them. In the case of the cancellation of either your holiday booking or event booking, any monies paid for prepaid tickets will not be refunded.

Know Before You Go

As a partner in the Know Before You Go campaign, we are working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to do all that we can to help British Travellers stay safe overseas. Make the most of your trip abroad, get proper insurance and check out the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk to find out in a flash how best to avoid trouble. Packed with essential travel advice and tips, the website offers a wealth of country specific information.

Safety First - Your Health and Safety

Personal Security: The need to think about your own personal security in any destination is a fact of life, just as at home. It is advisable to identify if there are any areas which it is best to avoid, particularly at night. The use of safety deposit facilities at hotels is essential as this will allow you to carry only the minimum necessary jewellery, cash and other valuables. Cities are particularly busy in comparison to other types of holiday destination and it is therefore advisable to be discreet and keep wallets, purses, expensive camera equipment etc. out of sight.First for Balcony Safety: Balcony safety is an issue for adults as well as children. Many hotels, especially in cities, are prohibited from changing their exteriors because of local legislation and cannot therefore alter the structure of room balconies, balustrades or windows to meet UK Building regulations recommended 1.1m. For this reason, we would urge you to take extra care when enjoying the views and particular care in supervising children.First for Pool Safety: Pool safety is not just an issue for beach holidays, especially as few city hotel pools are supervised or have a life guard in attendance. Therefore, children and non-swimmers must always be supervised by an adult and no one should swim shortly after taking food or drink. Pools in city hotels are usually smaller than those at beach hotels making diving more hazardous.

Please note that the Citalia Terms and Conditions also applies to the pay your balance online facility.

Payment details in respect of your holiday booking are updated every 24 hours, and may not be shown on pay your balance online until after this time.

Supply of Product and Services

Please see Citalia Terms and Conditions for the supply of third party Product and Services.

Our third party Product and Services may be subject to specific third party Terms and Conditions, where Citalia is acting as an agent. Click on the specific link(s) for further details.

Where our site contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources, and accept no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them. Please also refer to the Citalia Privacy Policy.

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Legal

Citalia is a trading name of Specialist Holidays (Travel) Limited, which is part of the Travelopia Group of Companies. Registered in England. Company Number: 446617. Registered Office: Origin One, 108 High Street, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1BD VAT Number: 252244234.

Many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme but ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions at www.citalia.co.uk/about/booking-with-citalia/terms-and-conditions/ for information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk. We will provide you with financial protection for any package holidays you buy from us that do not include travel by air by way of a bond held by ABTA. For further information, visit the ABTA website at www.abta.com. If you book arrangements other than an ATOL protected flight or a package holiday, the financial protection referred to above does not apply. Our ATOL number is 0285 and our ABTA number is V4068.